Isn't It Too Soon? Hollywood Can't Get Enough of Silent Hill
The cast and plot details for Return to Silent Hill have just been revealed, leaving fans with mixed feelings.
In recent years, the infamous curse of video game adaptations seems to have been broken.
With Sonic the Hedgehog (2020) and its sequel (2022), as well as the TV series Arcane ( 2021) and The Last of Us ( 2023) receiving positive reviews from both critics and videogame fans, another adaptation of a cult videogame is on the horizon.
After Return to Silent Hill was announced in 2022, the cast and plot details have just been confirmed.
The film will be directed by Christophe Gans, the man responsible for the original Silent Hill movie (2006), which received mixed reviews, as the film was visually impressive, but the plot and dialogue left much to be desired.
The plot of his next attempt to bring the infamous foggy town to life will focus on James, portrayed by Jeremy Irvine, a man separated from his love, played by Emily Anderson.
Called back to Silent Hill by a mysterious letter, he confronts the otherworldly horrors of the town in a desperate attempt to reunite with his beloved.
As the synopsis suggests, the movie will be based on the second and most iconic game in the series.
Considering the cult status of the source material, some fans are skeptical that the adaptation will live up to expectations, especially after the director's previous controversial attempt to delve into the series.
Another potential warning for fans might be the quote from Christophe himself: Return to Silent Hill is a mythological love story about someone so deeply in love, they're willing to go to hell to save someone," which does not exactly fit the narrative of the original game.
The main themes of Silent Hill 2 were grief, guilt and punishment, as well as the person's ability to admit their horrible deeds.
However, there are still hopes for the quality of the movie.
"Casting choices look good. Though bit of a red flag that they seem to avoid referencing to Mary as anything synonymous with spouse. "Love" is a bit vague. Could be mutual or one-sided. Hoping Gans doesn't screw this up [...]" Reddit user SassyPeacock0501 said.
Filming for Return to Silent Hill is scheduled to begin in April 2023.